


Make a New Beginning

by whispered_story



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shower Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 16:06:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9499469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispered_story/pseuds/whispered_story
Summary: Philip has a box where he keeps all the money he gets from Helen and Gabe. Just in case he ever needs it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the wonderful [firesign10](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firesign10/pseuds/firesign10). Thanks, hon!
> 
> Written for [Bluedrummajor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluedrummajor/pseuds/Bluedrummajor), who wanted a fic about the boys doing yardwork at Gabe and Helen's.

The picture that greets Lukas as his bike comes to a stop and he dismounts is not one he ever thought he'd see.

Pushing his helmet off his head, he grins.

Philip has a pair of garden shears in his hands, which are clad in a pair of gardening gloves. A good third of the bushes wrapping all around the porch are looking decidedly shorter, yard trimmings littering the ground. He's turned Lukas' way now, though, watching him with a small smile on his face. He looks messy, skin glistening with a sheen of sweat, a smudge of dirt on his cheek.

The lawn leading up to the house has just been mowed too, the scent of freshly cut grass still hanging in the air.

"What are you doing there?" Lukas calls out.

"What does it look like?" Philip replies.

Lukas rolls his eyes. He puts the helmet down on the seat of his bike and crosses the distance to where Philip is. Catching the fabric of Philip's t-shirt between his fingers, he tugs him in close and kisses him. He hums, breathing in Philip's scent. He smells like nature, all fresh sweat and grass and clean dirt mingled together, no traces of Philip's usual scent of his favorite body wash left. 

Lukas decides he likes it, humming contently as he slowly licks his way into Philip's mouth, the simple greeting turning dirty, deep. 

Philip pushes him away with a small laugh. "Okay. Enough," he says. "Gabe's paying me to get some work done, not make out with you."

"Gabe's paying you?" Lukas echoes.

Philip shrugs, looking a little sheepish. "I'm helping him out _and_ earning some extra money. It's what all kids do, right?" he asks, and it makes Lukas' heart hurt a little to know that this is a first for Philip. Doing chores around home and getting some extra money for it, instead of doing all of it because it was his job. Taking care of his mother, of their home, when she couldn't and probably even when she could, when she was having good days.

"Is Gabe sure it's a good idea to let you have a go at the yard though, city boy?"

Philip huffs. "If I fuck something up, it'll grow back," he says and then makes a face. "Well, unless I fuck it up too bad. _Can_ you fuck it up too bad?"

Lukas laughs. "Maybe you should have worried about that before attacking the bushes with a shear."

"They don't look too bad, right?" Philip says, glancing back at his handiwork. When he turns back to Lukas, he cocks his head to the side and worries his lower lip between his teeth. Lukas' eyes follow the movement for a moment, the straight white teeth pushing into pink flesh. 

"It looks fine," he says and then steals another quick kiss. Philip leans into it, resting some of his weight against Lukas. He's warm, too warm from the time spent outside in the sun, skin damp with sweat, but Lukas pulls him in closer anyway. "Got another pair? I can start on the other side, meet you in the middle?"

"You don't have to," Philip says. "You can watch me, keep me entertained. Or go inside, if you want."

"Nah, this way you'll get done quicker and we can hang out," Lukas points out. 

He presses a kiss to Philip's cheek, just above the smudge of dirt, and smiles against the heated skin.

+

Lukas is faster than Philip is. He's been helping his dad on the farm for as long as he can think, so trimming the bushes isn't a difficult task.

It apparently _is_ for Philip, though, who keeps muttering curses under his breath and hissing complaints whenever one of the small branch scratches or pokes him. Lukas just barely manages to bite back his laughter, grinning to himself as he keeps working.

"You good?" he calls over a few times, whenever Philip's curses get louder.

"Nature sucks," Philip says when they've both made enough progress to have significantly cut down the distance between them, so they don't have to raise their voices to talk anymore.

"You're cute," Lukas teases. Philip glares at him, wiping the back of his hand over his cheek, smearing more dirt onto his skin in the process. Lukas isn't even sure how Philip managed to get dirt on the gloves to begin with, but he's not going to bring it up. Philip would probably go inside and clean up, and Lukas likes seeing him like this. All mussed up and sweaty, disheveled, and the dirty smudge makes him look kinda cute. Almost like a farm boy.

"I can't believe you're enjoying this," Philip mutters. He wraps his hand around a few small branches at the top of the bush, having to reach up high enough to make his shirt ride up a little, and cuts them off, tossing them onto the ground behind him. 

Lukas grins again and decides not to tell Philip just how much he's enjoying this and _why_. "You know, it'd be easier if you had a bucket or something to throw all the trimmings in, so we wouldn't have to clean up after ourselves later."

The look Philip gives him is entirely unimpressed. "And you're telling me this _now_?"

"It's not like I'm sharing a huge secret with you here, Philip," Lukas points out. Philip's look can only be described as a pout.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think of it."

"Shocking," Lukas says, and Philip tosses a handful of prickly branches he just cut off at him. Lukas ducks and laughs, shaking them off.

"You're cleaning up, just for that," Philip threatens.

"Yes, dear," Lukas says with a wide smirk. He really _is_ enjoying himself. But he thinks he could probably be doing the most boring, tedious tasks in the world and they'd be fun if Philip was there with him. If he could sneak glances and steal kisses, tease and flirt and watch Philip either scowl or flush in return.

+

"You're done already?" Gabe asks, sounding surprised as he steps out onto the porch an hour later, his keys in hand. "Hey Lukas, I didn't hear you ride up."

"Hey Gabe," Lukas replies.

"Lukas helped," Philip says and looks at the freshly trimmed bushes. "Does it look okay?"

"It looks great, son. Thank you," Gabe says and claps Philip on the shoulder. Lukas watches, sees the way Philip's lips twitch up into a small smile, shoulders relaxing a little. Like he was truly worried he was doing something wrong and Gabe wouldn't be pleased. As if he couldn't have cut the bushes down the ground and Gabe probably still would have found a way to praise him for it.

Lukas shakes his head a little.

Gabe, meanwhile, pulls out his wallet from the back of his jeans. He hands Philip some cash. "Here you go," he says.

Philip glances down at the money, frowning a little as he looks back up. "That's more than we agreed on."

"I added Lukas' share," Gabe says and grins at Lukas. 

"Thanks. But you didn't have to," Lukas says. Gabe shakes his head.

"You earned it," he says. "I'm heading out to meet Helen for lunch now and then I'll have some errands to run. You guys enjoy the rest of the day, have fun. But be good, okay?"

He says it with a little grin and Lukas feels his cheeks grow a hot, knowing what Gabe is implying and that's just embarrassing. At the same time,it still makes him feel giddy, knowing Gabe and Helen are fine with their relationship. Fine with the fact that Philip is dating Lukas, of all people, who had dragged Philip headlong into a whole lot of trouble. It took Helen a little while to really warm up to him, but they've gotten past it and both her and Gabe now genuinely seem to accept him, to like him. He's invited to family dinners and outings, treated like one of them. 

"You guys have fun, too," Philip says, and Lukas can hear the eye-roll in his voice. Unlike him, Philip is a lot better at handling Gabe and Helen's comments and teasing, or maybe he's just more used to them by now, whereas Lukas pretty much still blushes every time they even hint at anything sex-related. He knows Philip gets embarrassed, too, but he's better at pretending, at brushing things off. Lukas is just a horrible actor. 

He's not even sure how he fooled anyone into thinking he wasn't head over heels in love with Philip from the moment he laid eyes on him at school all those months ago. Looking back at it now, it seems kind of ridiculous.

"See you guys later," Gabe says with a little grin. "Lukas, are you staying for dinner? I'm bringing home take-out."

"Yeah, sounds good," Lukas says.

Gabe nods and leaves with a final wave. As he drives off, Lukas turns back to Philip and finds him holding out some of the money.

"You keep it," he says, shaking his head.

"It's yours," Philip insists. "You did half of the work."

"To help _you_ , not to earn money," Lukas points out, pushing Philip's hand back toward him. "Keep it. You can put it in your box upstairs, where you keep your money stashed."

Philip looks up at him, eyes a little wider. "What?" he asks.

"Your box," Lukas repeats. "You have one in your bedside drawer where you put money in, right? You save it or something."

Philip pulls back, and it's like he shuts down, expression becoming guarded. It makes alarm bells ring inside Lukas' head, and his stomach plummets. 

"Did you go through my stuff?" Philip asks, his tone harsher than before. So unlike him.

Lukas frowns. "Of course not," he says. "I've just seen you put money in there a couple of times, and I saw it a few weeks ago when I was looking for condoms. I wasn't _sniffing around_ , Philip."

Philip hangs his head, dark hair spilling down, hiding his eyes. Lukas wants to push it back, to tip Philip's head up so he can look at him, see him and figure out whatever is suddenly going on in Philip's head.

"I'm sorry if you didn't want me to know," Lukas says softly. "I don't get what the big deal is. So you put money aside... that's smarter than blowing it all on random stuff, the way I do."

Philip shrugs, scuffing his foot against the ground, sneaker scraping against the wooden porch. "Yeah, whatever."

"Philip," Lukas prods. "Why is this a big deal?"

Philip frowns at him. "It's not. Sorry," he says dismissively. 

Lukas sighs and catches Philip by his elbow, dragging him closer. Philip lets him, _melts_ against him, as if he suddenly doesn't want to hold himself up anymore. All of the earlier light mood has gone, and Lukas hates himself a little for setting Philip off.

"You're saving money for a reason, huh?" he guesses and noses Philip's temple, kissing it softly.

Philip shrugs. 

It dawns on Lukas then. He feels a little stupid for not figuring it out sooner — but money has never really been a big deal to him. His father has always had enough of it so that it was never an issue, and his allowance has always been more than generous. With the exception of his little freak-out over the fake drugs he blew his money on, he's never had to worry about it. The only thing he ever had to save for were things he wanted but didn't _need_. Hell, his father has even paid for all his gear and his bike.

Philip never had this kind of luxury growing up. While Lukas was worried about getting the newest phone or whatever, Philip was probably worried about whether or not there'd be food on the table and the rent that was due. He's lived a completely different kind of life, and his fears aren't going to evaporate overnight.

"It's in case something happens, huh?" Lukas asks softly. 

"I guess," Philip says with a sigh.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Lukas points out gently. "Helen and Gabe'll take care of you."

Philip looks up at him, expression still carefully blank, but the corners of his mouth are turned down. Lukas hates it when Philip frowns, when those beautiful lips aren't turned up, smiling.

"They might not always do that," Philip admits quietly.

It hurts. It hurts some place deep down inside Lukas, knowing Philip feels that way. That it's something he worries about. That he doesn't see how much Helen and Gabe care for him — not just for now, but for good. Forever.

"Something could happen," Philip continues, and Lukas knows what he means is that they could change their minds him, feel differently about him. "And I've aged out of the system."

Oh. 

_Oh._

Lukas has never really thought about it. He spent weeks worrying about how his life would get ruined if he came out, about losing motocross and his dad, but he never _really_ worried about how he'd _live_. It just shows how freaking naïve he can be. But it's something Philip worries about. Even now. Maybe especially now, because he's not going to get another shot. If Gabe and Helen were to turn their backs on him — which _Lukas_ knows they won't — Philip would be left with pretty much nothing. And after everything, Philip still doesn't trust that things will be okay for him. Life hasn't given him much reason to have faith that things will turn out well, Lukas supposes.

"You don't have to worry about that, Philip," Lukas tries. 

"Yeah? How'd you know?"

"Because that's not how family works. It's not a temporary arrangement," Lukas says, putting some force into the words. It's enough to make Philip's expression soften.

Lukas doesn't think he gets it yet. Not really. But he's just going to have to keep reminding Philip until he does; maybe he'll get Helen and Gabe in on it, too. 

"And you've got me. You can come live with me if anything ever happens," Lukas adds, his tone lighter. It works and makes Philip crack smile.

"Your dad would love that," he says.

Lukas grins. "He's been trying really hard. He'd probably not say a thing," he replies, and he's kind of glad he can joke about these things now. Things between him and his dad were pretty awkward for a while, until they both learned to relax. He knows his dad doesn't _quite_ get it, but that's okay. Lukas doesn't need him to understand, just to accept, and in his own way he does. And Lukas has learned to be more open about himself, to not hide, to talk about Philip without worrying it will push his father away. Philip is too big a part of his life now not to talk about him anyway. Sometimes Lukas is surprised he can open his mouth and things will come out that _aren't_ all about Philip.

"Well, let's hope it never gets to that," Philip says with a grimace. 

"It won't," Lukas stresses. "So. Now that we have the place to ourselves, what should we do?"

"Oh, I'm sure you can think of a few things," Philip says. He's smiling now, and it still makes Lukas' heart beat faster. It's such a simple thing, but it means so much to him.

"How about we start by cleaning up?" he suggests. He can't keep in the grin, swiping his thumb over Philip's cheek, dragging it over the dirt smudged there and only managing to smear it around more. Unlike Philip, he hadn't worn gloves, and his hands are a little dirty from picking up all the yard trimmings from the ground, which just adds more grime to Philip's cheek now.

"What?" Philip asks, his hand coming up to touch the same spot with his fingers. 

Lukas laughs.

+

"Why didn't you tell me?" Philip groans, looking at his reflection in the mirror. "How long has this been there?"

"Since before I got here," Lukas says with a snicker.

Philip scowls at him. "I look like a mess."

He kind of does. Dirty and sweaty, hair a little stringy and skin flushed. Lukas thinks it's the hottest thing he's ever seen. It reminds him of how Philip looks right after sex, all disheveled and worn out, satisfied. The thought makes arousal pool in Lukas' stomach. 

And it's moments like this where he wishes he was better with words, that he could express all these thoughts that are always running through his head and make Philip understand. How amazing Lukas thinks he is, how loved he is, how special to him, how he affects Lukas. It affects every single part of him, every cell in his body, consumes him so completely; that feeling is what used to scare him, what he hated so much even when he was helpless to fight it, but now Lukas cherishes it. He cherishes that there's someone who is constantly on his mind, who makes him want to get up every morning, who is making his life so much better just by being part of it. Who fills that hole his mother left behind — not completely, not perfectly, but more than anyone else ever could. Until Philip, the only thing that truly made Lukas happy, that gave him a purpose, was motocross. 

And then Philip happened. He'd terrified the hell out of Lukas, he still does sometimes — but he had also fixed a part of him that had been broken for so long. Lukas hopes one day he'll be able to tell Philip everything. Every last broken piece of himself.

For now, Lukas does his best to show Philip what he can't quite put into words yet. With kisses that express how much he longs for Philip, touches that show how much he cherishes him, smiles that speak of how much brighter, better Philip makes his life. He tries using words too, but they never come out quite right, are never quite enough to express everything he wants to say. He's a work in progress that way, and luckily Philip doesn't seem to mind.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" Philip asks, interrupting his thoughts. His lips are turned up, a small smile that makes Lukas smile back widely.

"Maybe," he says, because it's all he can do for now. Philip rolls his eyes, but his smile gets wider.

He leans up and kisses Lukas, quickly, and then steps back, pulling his t-shirt over his head. "Come on," he says. "This was your idea."

And how can Lukas resist that? He follows Philip's lead, starting to undress, but his eyes keep straying to Philip. To the smooth, pale skin being revealed, bit by bit. He still marvels sometimes that he gets to see this, have this. And that nobody else does. That he's the only one who one who gets to see Philip likes this. Knows what his cock looks like, nestled in dark curls, the swell of his ass, the arch of his back, the moles on his skin. He's the only one who has memorized the spots Philip is the most sensitive; the ones that are ticklish and the ones that will make him writhe and moan. 

Philips gets into the shower first, looking back over his shoulder at Lukas as he moves to stand under the hot spray. 

Stripping off the last of his clothes, Lukas joins him. He presses up to Philip, chest to back, wrapping his arms around him. The water is hot, the pressure just right, and he sighs and ducks his head down, kissing the side of Philip's neck as the water rains down on them. The proximity, the feel of Philip against him, naked, makes his cock grow hard, want building up inside him quickly.

"Philip," he murmurs. He splays his hands out on Philip's flat belly, long fingers covering skin, one of his pinkies grazing dark, coarse curls. He nuzzles Philip's neck, pressing closer.

"We should get clean first," Philip says, and Lukas can hear the smile in his voice. "You're not touching me with those hands, Waldenbeck."

"Oh?" Lukas says and lets his pinky slide lower, while his other hand slides up to Philip's sternum. "I think I already am."

Philip just laughs and bends over, grabbing the shower gel. Lukas doesn't let go and he enjoys the way it positions their bodies, Philip's ass pressing up right against him. But then Philip straightens up again, leaning back into him, and pops the cap of the bottle open.

"Hands," he says. Lukas dutifully holds his hands out, turning them so his palms are facing up. Philip drizzles shower gel into them and then closes the bottle again, letting it drop to the floor with a loud thud. 

Lukas smiles as Philip starts soaping up his hands, fingers working up a lather on his skin, washing the grime away. He kisses Philip's neck again, licks over his pulse point teasingly. The taste of salty sweat is fading, replaced by the clean taste of water, and Lukas kind of hates it. He lets his teeth graze Philip's neck, pleased when he feels the soft tremor that goes through Philip, and then rests his chin on Philip's shoulder. He watches Philip's fingers slide between his, rubbing circles onto his skin. 

"Can I touch you now?" he murmurs when Philip finally seems satisfied, the water washing away the remaining suds. Without waiting for an answer, he puts his hands back on Philip's stomach, pulling him closer against him. He fits perfectly in his arms, ass pressing back against him, back flush against Lukas' chest.

"Lukas," Philip moans softly, barely audible over the sound of the water. He tips his head back, face turned, and Lukas only takes a moment to look at him — dark hair plastered to his scalp, skin wet and flushed — before he kisses him. Philip twists around in his embrace, wrapping his arms around Lukas neck, and kisses him back enthusiastically. 

Lukas loves touching Philip, and he especially loves it when Philip is wet, skin slick and warm under his palms. He lets his hands travel down Philip's back, follow the arch of his back and the slope of his ass. His fingers trail over the crack, teasing, before he slips one between the cheeks, his touch light. The sound Philip makes in return should be illegal, all needy and broken.

Lukas grips him a little tighter, feels the firm flesh in his hands, and kisses Philip more hungrily. The water is making their mouths slide together more slickly, makes the slide of his finger between Philip's cheeks easier too. 

"Please," Philip mumbles into the kiss, and Lukas feels proud for having reduced Philip to this so quickly, all of his cool and composure gone. 

He rubs his finger over Philip's entrance, lets it slide in a little, feels Philip's hole tighten and then relax, snug and hot around him. 

He shuffles them back, until Philip is pressed up against the tiles, cold against the back of his hands. Philip shudders, but he doesn't complain, just gasps and arches against Lukas. One of his legs slides around Lukas', tugging him closer, their hard cocks sliding together between their bodies. 

Lukas thrusts forward and trails his lips down the side of Philip's neck, licking away water, tracing a line down Philip's skin with his tongue. He lets his skin scrape over Philip's shoulder.

" _Yes._ Lukas. Please," Philip encourages, and Lukas bites down gently, before sucking on the same spot, drawing the skin between his teeth. He works his finger deeper into Philip, too, pressing a second one in alongside the first. Philip takes them easily, making small, hitching noises, hips rocking back and forward. 

Pulling back, he looks down at the mark on Philip's skin. It's not too bad, but it's there, a red bruise that he knows will be there for a few days before it fades completely. It makes something deep inside him come alive, a feeling of possessiveness that is still new to him. 

He ducks down, catches Philip's lips in a kiss, needing more, needing Philip. All of him. The wet floor and tiles make it harder to move, but he rocks against Philip anyway, thrusts sloppy, but it still feels good, more than good. Having Philip in his arms, wet and hot, turned on and hard. He twists his fingers inside of him, seeking out his prostate, pressing and rubbing against it, feeling Philip tighten around him, so hot, so _tight_. The way Philip squirms against him, all slippery wet skin, and gasps into his mouth only spurs him on. 

"Fuck," Philip groans, head tipping against the tiles, breaking their kiss with a gasp.

"Come on," Lukas murmurs, chasing his mouth. He kisses Philip again, bites down on his lower lip, pulling at the flesh. He feels Philip's fingers dig into his shoulders and then Philip shudders in his arm, spilling hot and sticky between them. 

"Yeah. Yeah, like that," Lukas encourages, voice soft and rough. He kisses Philip's cheek, the corner of his mouth, his pliant lips. Still hard, he presses his hips forward, smearing Philip's come between them.

Philip tightens his arms around him, nuzzles his jaw. "Lukas. Want you," he mumbles. 

The words send a new wave of heat through Lukas. He only hesitates for a second, trying to decide if they can do this in here. The tiles are too slippery though, and Lukas is feeling too out of control already. He pulls back and turns off the water, before dragging Philip out of the shower stall. 

"Lukas," Philip laughs, sounding breathless.

"Come on," Lukas urges and grabs towels, not caring that they're still dirty from Philip's climax. They dry off quickly, superficially, and then they're kissing again, stumbling out of the bathroom and into Philip's bedroom. 

Philip is laughing softly as they tumble down onto the mattress, sinking down and pulling Lukas on top of him. They're still damp, Philip's skin warm from the shower, and Lukas ruts down against him, twisting his fingers in Philip's wet hair. 

"Want you," Philip moans, rocking up. "Want you in me, Lukas."

"Fuck," Lukas spits out. Philip talking like that makes his heart race, his stomach tighten. He sucks a wet kiss onto Philip's jaw, the side of his throat and then pushes himself up, fumbling to reach for the dresser and the condoms and lubes stashed away there.

He slicks his fingers up quickly and Philip lets his legs fall open wider as he reaches between them. 

"Yeah, come on," Philip encourages. 

Lukas kisses his chin, bites his neck, as he presses in with three fingers. Philip takes them easily, rocking down on them, and Lukas doesn't think he'll ever get tired of this. Will ever not marvel at this, the way Philip takes him. He moves his fingers in and out, spreading the lube around, feeling Philip relax, open up around him.

Too impatient to take it slow, he pulls his fingers out the moment Philip murmurs he's ready and grabs the condom.

"Let me," Philip says, and Lukas nods shakily as Philip grabs the small foil packet. He sits up, legs spread around Lukas' thighs, and rips the packet open while Lukas watches. Philip grins at him, kissing him quickly before he takes Lukas' cock in one hand and rolls the condom down on it. His fingers form a perfect circle, sliding down Lukas' length, and then he reaches for the lube. Lukas groans, his stomach tightening, hands curling into fists as Philip finishes getting him ready.

Philip steals another kiss from him, Lukas' lips slack, and then lies back down, smiling. "Come on," he says, and Lukas doesn't have to be told. 

He leans over Philip, grabbing him by the thighs, dragging him down and then pushing his legs up, his hips pressed flushed against Philip's ass. 

He positions himself and slowly slides in, biting down on his bottom lip to keep the noises threatening to spill from his mouth in.

" _Lukas_ ," Philip moans, grabbing his arms. Lukas stares down at him, flushed and beautiful, lips red and bruised from kissing. "You feel so good."

"Yeah?" Lukas asks breathlessly. He pulls back a little, thrusts back in deeper. Philip is all tight, slick heat around him, gripping him.

Philip nods, dark eyes fixed on Lukas. " _Yeah_. Feels so amazing, having you inside of me," he pants, a gasp falling from his lips on another thrust. "You feel so big. 'm so full."

The words are almost slurred, and Lukas doesn't think he'll ever get enough of this. Of hearing Philip. He rocks his hips, working himself in and out. He won't last long, not today, already too far gone. He makes a noise, soft and low, and Philip echoes it, softer, breathier. He worms a hand between them and starts jerking himself off, his free hand coming to rest the back of Lukas' neck, fingers twisting in his hair.

Lukas grunts and pushes into Philip's tight heat, over and over, his movements fast and sloppy. With each thrust he wishes he could he could bury himself deeper, could lose himself in Philip's body forever. 

" _Fuck, Philip_ ," he groans. Philip tugs him down, pushes up and dragging Lukas into a kiss. He mumbles something, words that sound suspiciously like ' _I love you_ '.

Brokenly, Lukas moans and it only takes two, three more thrusts before he spills, body shaking over Philip's as he comes apart, pleasure rolling down his spine in hot waves.

+

Lukas turns, dragging the sheets higher around. Lazily, he watches Philip sit down on the edge of the bed, clad in nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs that Lukas already has plans to take off him again.

He looks on as Philip pulls the small cardboard box from the dresser next to his back and takes the lid off. He places the gardening money, which he retrieved from the bathroom along with their clothes, inside. Lukas only sees the content for a brief second, but it's more than he thought — months of money carefully put aside.

"You should buy something for yourself. Something you always wanted," he says softly. Philip cuts him a glance and shrugs, as he puts the lid back on the box and puts it away again. 

Lukas lifts the sheets for Philip to slide back under them, and then pulls him in close against him. "I bet there's tons of stuff you'd want," he continues, undeterred. "Or maybe something for your boyfriend."

Philip snorts out a laugh, and Lukas smiles. He kisses Philip's forehead, noses the dark, damp curls and breathes in.

"A camera, maybe," he says, tone softer. It's what he knows Philip would truly want, the thing he would splurge on if he'd let himself. 

"They're really expensive," Philip points out.

"We can look it up, see if we can find a good deal online. Or drive into the city, so you can look at some there," Lukas suggests. "And if you can't afford it yet, that just gives you something to save money for, right?"

Philip hums in reply.

"You don't need a plan B anymore," Lukas whispers. He slides his hand around Philip's shoulders, fingers skating over naked skin. 

"Maybe," Philip says softly in reply, the words spoken into Lukas' neck. 

It's a start. He's not there yet, doesn't believe what Lukas knows to be true. Doesn't trust things to be okay. But Lukas will get him there. And he'll be there with Philip, holding his hand, when he buys that camera.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! ♥
> 
> You can also find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/whispered_story), [tumblr](whispered-story.tumblr.com/) and [livejournal](http://akintay.livejournal.com/)!


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